277Leader, we have a great advantage.AI Model: gemini-3.0-flashChapter 277: Leader, Our Advantage Is Huge
Hotaru's excessive enthusiasm made Hinata quite uncomfortable.
But based on her professional ethics, she asked clearly about the cause and effect.
It was a simple story.
A rare genius had appeared in the peaceful Hidden Village of the Tsuchigumo Clan.
Shiranami.
He had learned a type of Ninjutsu, or rather a secret technique, from somewhere that could control human minds and bodies.
Upon learning of the Tsuchigumo Clan's forbidden technique, Shiranami's ambition swelled, feeling he had an unprecedented opportunity.
He believed he could unify the Five Great Nationsand conquer the entire Ninja World.
But he didn't know who was keeping the forbidden technique safe.
So he took control of all the villagers in the Tsuchigumo Clan's hidden village.
The leader, En no Gyoja, noticed Shiranami's alarming actions. Remembering his old alliance with the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, he sent his granddaughter Hotaru out of the village to contact Konoha.
As a Ninja village, Konoha has strongholds in cities of all sizes to collect tasks and provide feedback to the Hokage Building.
"I see."
After hearing this, Hinata couldn't help but feel sympathy. She promised, "Rest assured, we will complete your mission."
"Thank you!"
Hotaru jumped up in excitement.
"Let's go."
Naruto chimed in just in time, saying, "Don't waste time, lest something happens to your villagers."
"Ah, you're right!"
Hotaru snapped back to reality and hurried along the path.
Hinata couldn't help but smile; such a girl was quite likable.
Innocent and pure.
However, she soon found it hard to handle.
Along the way, Hotaru actually proposed to take her as a teacher.
It wasn't exactly impossible.
But Hinata had self-awareness.
She wasn't suited to be a teacher.
Or rather, she could only teach the Hyuga Clan.
Because whether it was the Gentle Fist or the Byakugan, it was difficult for outsiders to learn.
As for archery, to be honest, she was a bit confused herself.
"Hotaru, you don't need to pester Hinata anymore. Her abilities are a Bloodline Limit; she can only teach you the basics at most."
Naruto said with a smile to help her out, "If you want to learn Ninjutsu, you can enter Konoha's Ninja Academy."
With the forbidden technique Hotaru carried, Tsunade would surely be very welcoming.
Given her personality, there was no need to worry about her acting like a traitor.
One more or one less student at the Ninja Academy didn't matter much.
Besides, it would be good for someone with such a pure heart to learn the Will of Fire.
It could only be said that Naruto's habit of collecting things was acting up again.
In his previous life, when he read crossover anime or Three Kingdoms novels, he liked it when the protagonist collected various fierce generals and famous people.
Hotaru was stunned upon hearing this. Although she hadn't learned Ninjutsu, she knew about Konoha.
One of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
Compared to the Tsuchigumo Clan, it was like a swan—high and out of reach.
And would the Ninja Academy let an outsider join?
"Can I?"
Hotaru asked after a few seconds of silence.
"Why not?"
Naruto kept his smile, almost blurting out, 'Will you buy this crutch?'
He took out a piece of litmus paper.
"What's this?"
Hotaru took the white paper and flipped it over; there was nothing on it.
"It's used to test your Chakra nature."
Naruto explained.
"But... I don't have Chakra."
"Oh."
Naruto thought to himself that he had been hasty; he forgot this girl hadn't encountered Ninjutsubefore.
Except for some special constitutions, most people with Chakra refined it themselves.
He took out another scroll.
Considering that walking might be inconvenient, Naruto summoned the panda.
The three of them sat on its back.
Thus, Hotaru had time to study.
He did this because Naruto remembered that in the original work, her talent was quite good.
Not long after meeting Utakata, she could perform Ninjutsu.
Since being forced to leave the Tsuchigumo Clan's hidden village, Hotaru had been determined to become strong.
That was why she was so excited and eager when she saw Hinata.
As for why she didn't look for Naruto, it was probably because Hinata gave off a very friendly feeling.
Having received the scroll, Hotaru treated it like a precious treasure and immediately entered a state of deep concentration.
Hinata secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She couldn't stand overly enthusiastic people.
"Naruto-kun, is this your Summoned Beast?"
Hinata looked down at the black and white panda and couldn't help but ask.
Because she had never seen it before.
"Yeah."
Naruto stroked the fluffy natural carpet.
He thought to himself that he had finally fulfilled a meme from his previous life.
People from Sichuan each have a giant panda and ride them to school every day.
"I encountered it a long time ago. I thought it looked quite cute, so I took it as a Summoned Beast, but it hasn't come in handy until now."
There was no need to use it for fighting.
And it was too slow for traveling.
After all, he had the Flying Thunder God Techniqueand Enma.
He only remembered this guy for this specific mission.
"Is... is it cute?"
Hinata couldn't quite understand for a moment.
Mainly because this panda was too big to be associated with 'cute'.
Just like a large black bear in the wild, seeing them made one think of danger or sturdiness, not cuteness.
"It was cute when it was little."
Naruto also realized this issue, so he added, "The ears are soft and feel very comfortable to touch."
He reached out his hand to gesture.
Hinata was stunned.
The height was about the same as hers.
And she also had a pair of cat ears.
Could it be that Naruto-kun liked this kind of thing?
By the second day, Hinata was able to control her ears and tail.
Originally, with her personality, she would never have let them appear again.
But if Naruto-kun liked it... it wasn't impossible.
While she was hesitating, Hotaru suddenly jumped up and shouted excitedly: "It's here! I have it!"
Naruto was slightly taken aback and asked: "What do you have?"
"Look at this."
Hotaru held out her hand to the two of them, and there was a faint swirling wind wave.
Chakra.
"You really are a genius."
Hinata couldn't help but remark with feeling.
To be able to refine Chakra in such a short time was rare even in Konoha.
Even though it was just the beginning, it was incredibly fast.
"Test it with the paper I gave you."
Naruto reminded her.
He didn't find it particularly surprising.
Too many factors decided a Ninja's potential.
Hotaru's age was already a bit late, and she already had scattered accumulations within her body.
She was similar in age to Hinata, also around fourteen.
Compared to her peers, she had already fallen behind quite a bit.
"Okay."
Hotaru channeled Chakra into the test paper, and the white paper soon became damp.
"Water nature."
Naruto glanced at it and said, "Not bad. Konohahas many Water Release Ninjas, and the Second Hokage-sama was especially skilled in Water Release."
Coincidentally, he had also learned a bit recently, so he transcribed a few basic Ninjutsu for her.
Hotaru studied while they traveled.
Hinata also taught her with all her heart.
By the time they reached the Tsuchigumo Clan's hidden village, Hotaru had already mastered one Water Release Ninjutsu.
Naruto thought of Sakura.
The two were somewhat similar.
Their Chakra control was quite genius-level.
If things went smoothly, becoming an ordinary Jonin wouldn't be a problem.
To become an absolute powerhouse, one would have to see if they had any 'cheats'.
Naruto remembered that Hotaru's forbidden technique was quite powerful, but the side effects seemed large and it was easy to lose control.
With a 'poof' sound.
The panda disappeared.
Naruto looked at the hidden village in the mountains before him.
It was very ordinary.
It gave an illusion of a peaceful and beautiful paradise.
But after they walked in, they were met by a group of villagers.
Their shoulders were all marked with the character for 'Control'.
Naruto twitched his lips.
He felt this scene was too weird.
It wasn't even as good as the Axe Gang.
At least they had plenty of style.
"Hotaru, you're finally back."
A young man stepped out from among the villagers.
His face was pale, exuding a gloomy aura.
It made Naruto think of Orochimaru.
In short, he had the kind of appearance that made one think he wasn't a good person at first glance.
"Where is my grandfather?"
Hotaru didn't see En no Gyoja and asked anxiously.
"He's fine."
Shiranami smiled sinisterly, "As long as you're willing to hand over the forbidden technique, I'll release him."
As for Naruto and Hinata, they were subconsciously ignored by him.
How powerful could two teenagers be?
Tsk.
Konoha must have underestimated him too much.
But that was fine.
If someone powerful had come, it really would have been hard to deal with.
"You!"
Hotaru grit her teeth, beyond furious.
"Hinata."
Naruto called out.
Although Shiranami used the villagers as shields, with Hinata's archery, this kind of arrangement was completely meaningless.
Moreover, she had obtained a new Character Card.
The passive skill, Bullet Aiming, was born for this moment.
Byakugan plus a crosshair—perfect.
Hinata nodded, and a bow and arrow appeared in her hand.
"I'll go find your grandfather."
Naruto said to Hotaru.
Before she could answer, he had already disappeared.
As the leader of the Tsuchigumo Clan, En no Gyoja was not a completely ordinary villager.
Naruto easily found his location based on his Chakra.
"Attack!"
Shiranami noticed Naruto had vanished and quickly shouted.
He didn't care about En no Gyoja.
What he wanted was Hotaru.
Now that one was gone and only two young girls remained, wouldn't it be easy pickings?
A large crowd of villagers holding hoes and kitchen knives rushed over.
Hotaru's expression turned stern, and she subconsciously formed seals.
Water Release: Wild Water Wave!
Rank C, a basic Water Release Ninjutsu.
It expels a waterfall-like stream of water from the mouth.
The size is determined by the user's Chakra.
Since Hotaru had just learned it and lacked Chakra, she only sprayed out two thin streams of water.
Shiranami was stunned by the sight and burst into laughter, and then... he died laughing. Well, not quite.
Hinata's arrow hit him accurately between the eyebrows and triggered a headshot effect.
Shiranami became a'Severed Wave'.
Essentially a headless horseman.
Even he hadn't expected this arrow to have such speed and power.
So much so that his death was very abrupt.
At least in Hotaru's eyes, it was.
The big boss who had troubled the Tsuchigumo Clan for so long was dead just like that?
She had a strange feeling.
Naruto, however, didn't find it surprising.
There weren't many people in the entire Ninja World who could safely block one of Hinata's arrows.
Just like Uchiha Madara, whose Great Fireball Technique was comparable to an S-rank Ninjutsu—few could withstand it.
Once strength reached a certain level.
Even basic attacks were like ultimate moves.
"Thank you both for saving our lives!"
En no Gyoja bowed and said.
After Shiranami's death, his control technique lost its effect.
However, in Naruto's view, it was truly a waste.
Why be so obsessed with a forbidden technique?
With this ability, wouldn't it be better to just go control the Daimyo?
Look at others who can unify the world just by relying on hypnosis.
"It was just a mission."
Naruto said with a faint smile.
But En no Gyoja didn't dare to be negligent.
He had heard about what happened from Hotaru.
Someone who could take out Shiranami with one arrow could naturally destroy the entire Tsuchigumo Clan.
"We have prepared a lavish dinner, please follow me."
En no Gyoja raised his hand and said.
Out of courtesy, Naruto did not refuse.
At the dinner table, he mentioned letting Hotaru go to Konoha to study.
But he was flatly refused.
"Why?"
Naruto thought of the reason and asked, "Is it because you don't want the forbidden technique to go to Konoha?"
"How did you know?!"
En no Gyoja's face changed, and he couldn't help but ask.
Even Hotaru herself didn't know.
"What you consider precious is nothing in Konoha's eyes."
Naruto said with a light laugh, "Forbidden techniques, we have a whole bunch of them. If we really wanted it, do you think you'd still be alive and chatting with me now?"
"..."
En no Gyoja's expression was awkward, but he was speechless.
The words were harsh but true.
This statement was indeed very logical.
He looked at the expectant Hotaru again and finally nodded.
After the Shiranami incident, he deeply understood the importance of strength.
Hotaru going to Konoha to study was undoubtedly a good thing... Sunagakure's mass desertion caused a huge stir in the Ninja World.
In the past, Kumogakure and others might have prepared for war.
But because of the Akatsuki Organization's existence, such turmoil quickly subsided.
The Land of Wind introduced 'Ni-Sand' to replace Sunagakure.
Those in the know understood that the Akatsuki Organization had taken over another country.
Setting aside those insignificant small countries, only the Land of Water remained.
Nagato led all members across the sea for a visit.
The expected fierce battle did not occur.
Mei Terumī directly chose to surrender.
In fact, before Nagato and the others even reached the Hidden Mist Village, just as they stepped onto the island where the Land of Water's Metropoliswas located, they saw the Mizukage.
This speed was comparable to France.
Nagato had intended to let Obito replicate the operation from a few years ago and directly control the Mizukage.
The reason they didn't resort to killing was mainly because of the Tianming Organization.
They had several companies in the Land of Water.
But they hadn't expected Mei Terumī to be so sensible.
Nagato was also somewhat relieved.
Of course, he wasn't stupid; he knew this woman, Mei Terumī, couldn't be trusted.
But to him, it was meaningless.
They were cannon fodder anyway.
He didn't care if this cannon fodder was truly submissive or just a hypocritical actor.
Another month passed.
The Akatsuki Organization had almost handled its rapidly expanding power.
The mood in the Ninja World was very stable.
Seeing that the time was ripe, Nagato recalled all members for a meeting.
Especially Karen.
Her mission had been over-fulfilled.
Even places like the Land of Demons, Land of Snow, Land of Bears, and Land of Grass had all publicly expressed support for the Akatsuki Organization.
The meeting location this time was not set in the constantly raining Amegakure, but in a luxurious mansion courtyard in the Land of Earth.
The sun was shining brightly.
Deva Path Pain stood in the center of the courtyard.
Zetsu, with his pitcher plant appearance, emerged from the ground.
As the Ninja World's greatest mastermind, he felt confused by the Akatsuki Organization's recent behavior, which was so smooth it was absurd.
He also became more certain of his previous conjecture.
Nagato and Uzumaki Naruto had reached an unspeakable deal.
But Zetsu had no way of knowing.
He couldn't exactly go and ask them.
However, he heightened his vigilance because of this.
Following that, Obito, Deidara, Karen, Kakuzu, and others appeared one by one.
Because of the special nature of the meeting, they all came in person.
The last to arrive were Orochimaru and Yakushi Kabuto.
They would play important roles in this war.
"Karen, tell us about the situation."
Deva Path Pain spoke as everyone had arrived.
Karen traveled among various countries and was the Akatsuki Organization's external liaison officer.
"Currently, nearly nineteen countries in the Ninja World have agreed to send troops. Setting aside the incompetent grunts and samurai, we can gather nearly seventy thousand Ninja Allied Forces."
Karen stepped forward with a bow and smiled, "These seventy thousand are at least at the Chuninlevel, while Konoha Village has at most twenty thousand. Seventy thousand against twenty thousand—our advantage is huge."